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Obama Administration: We (Heart) Senate Health Care Bill

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Pres. Barack Obama and Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)

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The White House has released a statement of administration policy about the Senate health care bill that will receive its first test vote tomorrow.

If the headline above sounds familiar, so does the statement. They released a very similar one before the House health care vote earlier this month.

"They have forged a strong consensus that represents an historic step forward," the administration said of both the House and Senate bills.

Each statement talks about the bill being "the product of unprecedented cooperation and countless hours of hard work by Members of the Senate who share the President's conviction that the Nation cannot wait another year for health insurance reform."

The biggest difference - the statement on the House talked about its strong public option.

The Senate statement lauds that the bill "includes important health care delivery system and insurance reforms and cost-containment initiatives, and it would extend the solvency of Medicare's hospital insurance trust fund."

Statement in full after the jump.

The Administration strongly supports Senate passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the proposed substitute to H.R. 3590), which represents a critical milestone in the effort to reform our health care system. This legislation meets the President's criteria for health insurance reform: it provides stability and security to those with insurance; offers access to quality, affordable health care for those who do not have insurance; cuts costs for families, small businesses and the Government; and does so without adding a dime to the deficit.

This legislation is the product of unprecedented cooperation and countless hours of hard work by Members of the Senate who share the President's conviction that the Nation cannot wait another year for health insurance reform. They have forged a strong consensus that represents an historic step forward.

The Senate legislation includes critical reforms to the insurance industry, so that Americans will no longer have to worry that they will be denied coverage, or that their coverage will be dropped or watered down when they need it most. It covers virtually all Americans and ensures that all Americans with health insurance are protected against high, out-of-pocket spending. The Administration is pleased that the bill includes a public health insurance option offered in an Exchange. As the President has said throughout this process, a public option that competes with private insurers is one of the best ways to provide the choice and competition that are so badly needed in today's market.

The Senate bill also includes important health care delivery system and insurance reforms and cost-containment initiatives, and it would extend the solvency of Medicare's hospital insurance trust fund. The Administration is also pleased that the bill creates an Independent Medicare Advisory Board. The bill's Medicare and Medicaid policies promote integrated care, quality care, and primary care. It invests in research on the most effective treatments, prevention, and the health care workforce. It also makes critical improvements for Medicare beneficiaries including beginning to address the coverage gap in the Medicare drug benefit known as the donut hole. In addition, it provides new options for long-term care. The bill includes important program integrity protections that will safeguard Medicare and Medicaid from fraud, waste, and abuse. Moreover, the Senate bill is not only fully paid for, but also reduces the deficit by $130 billion in the first decade and by more than half a trillion dollars in the next decade.

This bill provides the necessary health reforms that the Administration seeks - affordable, quality care within reach for the tens of millions of Americans who do not have it today, and stability and security for the hundreds of millions who do. The Administration appreciates the hard work of the Senate on this bill, which contributes to transforming the health care system. The Administration looks forward to continuing to work with the Congress to enact health insurance reform and urges quick action on this landmark bill.

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8 comments

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November 20, 2009 6:34 PM   

A couple past quotes of an foreign, iconic conservative statesman, who didn't lack compassion.


"Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have."

"The discoveries of healing science must be the inheritance of all. That is clear. Disease must be attacked, whether it occurs in the poorest or the richest man or woman simply on the ground that it is the enemy; and it must be attacked just in the same way as the fire brigade will give its full assistance to the humblest cottage as readily as to the most important mansion. Our policy is to create a national health service in order to ensure that everybody in the country, irrespective of means, age, sex, or occupation, shall have equal opportunities to benefit from the best and most up-to-date medical and allied services available."

--Winston Churchill speaking in March 1944 in a speech before the Royal College of Physicians

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November 21, 2009 12:37 AM    in reply to jchapin050

Pity Conservatives in our country are not like that.

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November 21, 2009 2:20 AM    in reply to Ethan

Pity most of our Democrats are not like that!

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November 20, 2009 6:41 PM   

Obama would not have made a statement if they didn't have the votes.

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November 21, 2009 2:06 AM   

Health care industry to Americans: Your money or your health

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November 21, 2009 2:40 AM   

the senate bill doesn't even bring the industry under anti-trust laws.

There are 2 exchanges for every state.

The PO is in name only.

illegal immigrants can't even buy insurance in the exchanges with their own money, which ensures more emergency room healthcare

state consumer protection laws could be gutted

there is no oversight and little regulation, but there are mandates which equals handing over the citizens and US treasure to the industry

opt out can begin right away, but PO doesn't go into effect until 2014

The minimum actuarial level of the lowest level qualified health insurance is 60%

many will find themselves insured, but with high deductibles, or low cost catastrophe plans, or simply too poor to actually use their plans due to high premiums.

congratulations! WooHooooo!

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November 21, 2009 6:35 PM    in reply to Indie Pro

That just about says it all. Well cataloged!

I guess the die is cast. Things are going to get a lot worse before they get any better. It's the Californiafication of the US.

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November 21, 2009 8:02 PM   

No way Blance will accomplish and filibuster.

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